CRTX News commissioned a statewide phone poll of Republican Primary voters on Joe Straus’ leadership as Speaker, which was completed on Sunday, June 25, 2017. Over 1000 voters were interviewed. By an overwhelming margin, 68% of grassroots Republicans want Straus removed as Speaker in the Special Session and want him replaced with a conservative Republican who would pass Gov. Abbott’s legislative agenda.

Many Republican state representatives find themselves between a rock and a hard place. They have run on a conservative agenda during the primaries and general election, promising to be conservative leaders in the Texas House who support limited government, free enterprise, pro-life, and pro-family issues. Then when they get to Austin, they elect RINO Joe Straus as Speaker. Straus and his puppeteer, Rep. Byron Cook, and their “Lieutenants,” as they are called, block and deep-six all but a few conservative measures supported by Gov. Greg Abbott and passed by the Texas Senate. Now the chicken has come home to roost for these Republican legislators.

These Republican state representatives will have a hard time explaining to their conservative base why over 20 pieces of conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate, under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, never saw the light of day in the Texas House. Many were never even sent to a House committee, most notably SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, known as “No Men in Women’s Bathroom’s!”, and SB 2, the Property Tax Reduction Bill.

Now these Republican state representatives must decide whether they are going to follow Straus like lemmings, as Straus once again blocks Gov. Abbott’s conservative agenda, or whether they are going to have the courage to remove Straus as Speaker and replace him with a stalwart conservative who will make sure that Gov. Abbott’s conservative legislation is passed. Their political future will ride on their choice. It will be difficult for Republican state representatives to stick with Straus and still expect grassroots conservative Republican voters, including Tea Party leaders, to stick with them in the upcoming 2018 March Republican Primary.

The CRTX News poll tracks with the overwhelming response that Dr. Steven Hotze’s Facebook video post received supporting Gov. Abbott’s call for a Special Session to pass conservative legislation. That video reached nearly 700,000 of our supporters, has been viewed over 425,000 times, had 23,100 likes, 2,900comments and 2,300shares. The fact that 61% of those who received the video post viewed it demonstrates the strong interest of Republican primary voters in passing conservative legislation and in protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls.This Facebook video can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/CRTxNews/videos/370181750050183/.

Dr. Hotze’s latest Facebook video, which was posted this last Monday, calling for Straus to be replaced as speaker in the upcoming Special Session of the Texas Legislature on July 18, has also gone viral. It has reached over 193,000 Republican voters with over 100,000 views.

Republican voters are mad as a hornet at Straus. Be sure to read the comments to feel the anger that Republican voters have toward Straus for blocking conservative legislation passed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate. Gov. Greg Abbott supports this conservative legislation.

The reason that Gov. Abbott has called the Special Session is to pass the conservative bills that Straus blocked during the regular legislative session.

There is further confirmation of the need to remove Joe Straus as speaker. Straus was viewed unfavorably in a recent poll conducted by the Texas Tribune and the University of Texas. Straus’ favorable rating was only 25% with 29% unfavorable.

You may not be aware that Straus is beholden to Democrats for his Speaker position. In 2009 eleven (11) RINO Republicans joined with 65 Democrats to remove conservative Speaker Tom Craddick and elect Straus Speaker. That is why Straus and his lieutenants block or water down any meaningful conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate. Look at the list of religious liberty bills that Straus has killed, http://files.ctctcdn.com/3de7d049501/548ed97d-a70c-4fe5-b656-9e93b05f6f3c.pdf.

Texas is the most conservative state in America. We have a Republican Governor and a Republican Lt. Governor. Republicans have a 20-11 majority in the Texas Senate. The Republicans outnumber the Democrats 95-55 in the Texas House, yet Straus has appointed an equal number of Democrats as Republicans to Committee Chairmanship or Vice-Chairmanship leadership positions. Most of the Republicans that Straus appointed were RINO Republicans. This is why almost all the conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick never had a chance to pass in the Texas House.

Straus currently has as his base support, 55 Dems who have agreed to support him. All RINO Straus needs is 21 RINO Republican state representatives to support him to keep his position.

With 95 Republican state representatives, out of 150 in the Texas House, it is inconceivable that we do not have a stalwart conservative Republican as Speaker of the Texas House.

With the outpouring of support, demonstrated by the response to Dr. Hotze’s Facebook video, which has been viewed by over 425,000 Republican voters, for Gov. Abbott’s call to addSB 6, The Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”, to the Special Session, many state representatives realize that they must replace Straus as Speaker in this Special Session. They realize that their constituents want them to protect the privacy and safety of women and girls in public and school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, as well as pass the conservative legislation supported by Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick. Straus opposes SB 6 because he vehemently opposes Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and wants to do whatever is necessary to block their conservative agenda.

During the recent legislative session, Straus not only blocked SB 6, but he also blocked the following conservative bills:

Providing for property tax reform

Providing school vouchers for special needs children

Spending limits on local and state governments

Prohibition for state and local governments for collecting union dues

Prohibiting state and local governments for spending money on killing unborn children

Prohibiting insurance companies from requiring coverage for killing unborn children

Gov. Abbott was forced to call the Special Session because Straus blocked conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate and supported by Gov. Abbott.

Straus receives moremoney from the liberal labor unions than anyother Republican State Speakers and all but 3 Democrat State Speakers in the United States. Straus received$195,000 from the alt-left unions prior to his 2014 race for state representative.This past legislative session Straus and his House Committee Chairmen killed a bill that passed the Texas Senate that would have ended the collection of union dues by local and state governments on behalf of public employee unions that then direct most of those funds to elect Democrats.

Straus supports the pro-abortion agenda.Straus voted for third-trimester abortionsin 2005, received a100% rating from the National Abortion Rights Action Leaguein 2007, andStraus received $1,000 from Planned Parenthood in 2008. No wonder Planned Parenthood thanked him for his “tireless work” in 2009 after he became House Speaker.

Straus has remained silent in the face of exposé videos which document that Planned Parenthood has profited from the sale of baby body parts.

Straus vehemently opposes SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!” Why would anyone support allowing perverted men and boys to use enter women’s and girls’ public and school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, much less Straus, the Republican speaker of the Texas House, who is married with two daughters? I just don’t get it! Not only is SB 6 the right thing to do, it is politically supported by 84% of Republican Primary voters.

Straus also blocked SB 2, the Property Tax Reduction Bill, in the Texas House. Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, it overwhelmingly passed the Texas Senate 18-12.

Time and time again liberal, career, RINO politician Straus has either blocked or watered down conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Since the Texas House leadership is made up of RINOs, the disturbing result is that mainstream conservative legislation, which passes the Senate, ultimately dies in the House. As the Speaker of the House, Straus has worked overtime to oppose Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick, and block the passage of conservative legislation. Straus uses his committee chairmen to delay and block conservative bills. Straus has killed conservative bills in session after session.

The Republican state representatives know that their failure to pass these strong pieces of conservative legislation will make them vulnerable to conservative opponents in the upcoming 2018 primaries. They do not want RINO Straus’ liberal politics wrapped around their neck when they run for reelection.

I am not going to tell you that Straus must be removed from the Speaker position in the Special Session in order for conservative legislation to be adopted. You can decide that for yourself.

Texas Republicans deserve better! It’s time for a change.

Contact your Republican state representative today and tell him or her to vote to remove Straus from the speaker position in the upcoming Special Session which begins on July 18. You can click on this link to find out who your state representative is, http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a Speaker of the House who was as conservative as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick?

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